In this class, we will show you how to make a beautiful and incredibly delicious Cranberry Cheesecake. Cranberries give this cheesecake a tangy sweetness that is out of this world. We made the crust with our own, Glutenfreeda’s Real Cookies, ‘Sugar Kookies’. It can also be made with our ‘Snickerpoodles’ with a slight adjustment in the amount of cinnamon. It can, of course be made with other gluten-free cookies of your choice.

You can make this fabulous dessert GFCF by omitting the crust and substituting the butter for Earthbalance ,the cream cheese for Tofutti mock cream cheese, the crème fraiche for mock sour cream and the cream can be substituted with soy creamer.

This dessert, although not difficult, does take time. The cranberry puree is best is let rest overnight. After the cheesecake has baked and cooled, it too should chill overnight.

Let’s begin…

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
  
• 2/3 cup orange juice
  
• 2 Tablespoons grated orange peel
  
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 4 teaspoons vanilla
  
• Unsalted butter for greasing pan
  
• 12 Glutenfreeda’s Sugar Kookies or Snickerpoodles, baked according to package directions then cooled; or 2-3/4 cup ground gluten-free shortbread or butter type cookies.
  
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if using Snickerpoodles, use ½ teaspoon cinnamon)
  
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  
• 4-8 ounce packages cream cheese
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 4 large eggs
  
• 1 cup crème fraiche
  
• ½ cup whipping cream
  
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rack in the center of the oven.

Step 1:

In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, 2/3 cup sugar, orange juice, orange peel, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir ingredients and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Step 2:

Transfer to a blender and add 4 teaspoons vanilla. Blend until mixture is smooth. Strain into a small bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Step 3:

Step 4:

Wrap the outside of the pan with heavy duty foil.

Step 5:

Place cookies in a plastic bag and crush with a mallet or the heel of your hand. Transfer to a food processor. Add 1 Tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and process to crumbs. Add melted butter and process until clumps form.

Step 6:

Transfer crumb mixture to the springform pan and press up the sides and bottom of the pan. Place pan in refrigerator to chill.

Step 7:

Add cream cheese to an electric mixer and mix on high until fluffy. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. On low speed, mix in crème fraiche, cream and vanilla. Mix until well blended.

Step 8:

Pour 1/3 of filling into crust lined springform pan. Place 1/3 of cranberry puree by dollops on top of filling. Repeat layers 2 more times.

Step 9:

With a knife, swirl puree through filling, creating swirled designs.

Step 10:

Carefully place cheesecake in a roasting pan. Fill with hot water half-way up the side of the springform pan.

Step 11:

Step 12:

Transfer cheesecake to a rack and slide a knife around the edge to loosen the cake. Let cool completely.

Step 13:

- Chef Yvonne